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December 14, 2019The Gattuso era begins badly for Naples. At San Paolo in Naples beat 2-1 by a sly and willing Parma.The race risked postponement, due to the fall of some parts of the roof of the stadium after the severe weather that hit the city on Friday. After the checks, the decision to postpone the kick-off at 18.30. It is the first of Gattuso on the Naples bench. The former Milan takes the place of Ancelotti, exonerated Tuesday after the 4-0 on the Genk in the Champions League earned the Azzurri the passage to the second round.
A mistake by Koulibaly on control paves the way for Kulusevski, who comes face to face with Meret. The Swede is cold in the one-on-one against the Napoli goalkeeper and is ahead Parma (4 '). Start uphill for Gattuso. Koulibaly is forced to go out due to a muscular problem, in his place Luperto. On the 11th attempt from the Zielinski boundary rebound. At 24 'still Zielinski close to equal: test slightly slipped on the left a one against one with Sepe then the shot, but the ball is high. At the 33rd hole of Milik who launches Insigne in the door, only against Sepe. Very large ball and devoured opportunity. Napoli attacks but risks and on a restart of Parma Gervinho gets to kick just inside the penalty area. A reflection of Meret sends the ball on the inner pole and avoids the doubling of the Emilia. At 2 'recovery of the first time tense situation: Zielinski seems to cross the race with a Parma defender and falls into the area. At first the referee Di Bello assigns the penalty kick, but, recalled by the Var, he must change the decision: penalty kick from outside the box, where indeed there had been a contact. Another thrill for Napoli in the recovery: another ball lost by Napoli that launches the opposing counterattack but D'Aversa misses the last pass with Gervinho and Kulusevski completely alone ahead.
In the second half, another spirit of the Neapolitans. First Milik at 59 'forced Sepe to parry with the ball that ends up on the pole, then at 63' the move by Gattuso who had replaced Allan with Mertens was rewarded. The Belgian invents a great cross from the center right: a perfect break from Milik who beats Sepe with his head. It's 1-1. The game seems to have changed face, to the 68 'Napoli action wasted by Mario Rui who, freed in the area by Insigne's backstroke, shoots to the stars. Parma is still in the game: at 71 'Gervinho jumps all with one of his crazy slalom but is not cold in hitting with a low shot diagonally. Meret protects with his foot. In the end, the inertia of the game is all on the side of the hosts who put in an impressive series of balls in the opposing area but are unable to exploit them. Then comes the surprise. At 93 'another restart of Parma. Gervinho starts serving Kulusevski, the Swede coldly serves his companion all alone in the area and the Ivorian this time does not fail. For the Napoli the Champions area moves further and further away.